Long known by residents and visitors as one of the most spectacularly beautiful ecosystems in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef was recently seen from a brand new angle when NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, currently on assignment aboard the International Space Station, posted high-resolution photographs of the reef on his Twitter feed.
The gorgeous color photograph taken from space pictures the entire Belizean coastline with the reef clearly visible. “Beautiful Belize coastal waters,” wrote Jeff Williams alongside the photograph. The next few pictures posted by the intrepid astronaut showed Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, commenting, “Fantastic Belize barrier reefs!”
If you’d like to experience the wondrous beauty of the Belize Barrier Reef from a much closer distance, the resort of Chabil Mar in Placencia offers comprehensive scuba diving and snorkeling packages that include lodging and guided trips to some of the best places to swim, dive and snorkel along the reef.
After a thrilling game against the Placencia Assassins in the final of the Premiere League of Belize football champions, the Belmopan Bandits secured the win with a 2-0 victory. Playing to a packed crowd at Isidoro Beaton Stadium, the hometown heros Belmopan Bandits and their star goalkeeper Shane Moody fought hard to end the match in a shutout.
After much exciting back and forth between the two evenly matched teams, the Bandits managed to end the deadlock with a minute 29 goal shot from Brazilian midfield Amilton Filho. The arcing hard shot from 35 yards out just managed to escape the control of Assassins goalie Anthony Williams. As the shot from Filho came rebounding to earth, Honduran forward Kervin Johnson outpaced Williams to tip in the goal with an easy kick for the first goal for the Bandits.
The crowd rose to their feet six minutes later when Assassins midfielder Delone Torres used fancy footwork to penetrate the Bandits defense and slide the ball over to midfielder Ashley Torres. The shot from Torres from just 18 feet out was just shy of the mark and hit the left cross bar. A corner kick a few minutes later from the Assassins Luis “Baaka” Torres also hit the crossbar, dashing Assassins fans hope for a chance to even the score.
The Bandits relentless attack soon proved its mettle 10 minutes into the half when flying forward Kervin Johnson arced a perfect shot into the middle for Jerome “Jarro” James to punch in to increase their lead to 2-0. The Assassins attempted to regain ground just minutes later but watched in dismay as another excellent shot caromed off of the cross bar.
Due to points, a draw would’ve given the Placencia Assassins the title but it was not in the cards as the Bandits successfully managed to fend off all attacks to end the match with a decisive 2-0 victory. A triumphant crowd roared as the Belmopan Bandits were crowned the PLB Champions of the 2015-2016 season.
In recognition of their dedication and success in this hard-fought season, the management and staff of Chabil Mar would like to congratulate the Placencia Assassins for their outstanding achievement of reaching the finals of the Belize Premier League.
At the fourth annual New York City Hot Sauce Expo, held in April 2016, Belizean legend Marie Sharp was formally inducted into the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame. Noted for being the “quintessential Central American hot sauce”, Marie Sharp’s signature brand of sauces began as a culinary experiment in her kitchen in 1980 and has since grown to become one of Belize’s leading exports.
After relatives and friends continued to clamor for more of Marie Sharp’s sauces, she began her small business in the Stann Creek District of southeastern Belize. Today, Marie Sharp’s line of signature sauces, jams and jellies have become one of Belize’s most recognizable icons and her products are exported throughout Central America, Europe, and the United States.
Still a friendly “Belize-sized” company, approximately two dozen employees work at the modern factory a few miles outside of Dangriga to produce hot sauces in different strengths, starting with mild and continuing to Belizean Heat, Beware, Fiery Hot and “No Wimps Allowed”.
Marie Sharp’s also produces a line of jams and jellies made from locally-grown fresh tropical fruits, with flavors that include banana, guava, mango, papaya, pineapple, coconut and orange. There’s even a red habanero jelly for aficionados of sweet jellies combined with a bit of heat.
Marie Sharp’s is also the premiere manufacturer of Belizean “season all”, a ubiquitous condiment made with annato that forms the backbone of the country’s cuisine. Annato is the seed commonly referred to as “achiote” in Spanish, a popular ingredient in Mexican and Caribbean foods because of its ability to add a warm golden color to dishes.
Chabil Mar, the premiere luxury resort on the Placencia Peninsula, offers guests an exclusive beachfront experience in tastefully appointed villas. The resort includes a bar and restaurant, with plenty of Marie Sharp’s delicious sauces and jellies on hand for guests to sample as well as dishes made with her signature season all Belizean spice.
On behalf of the staff and management of Chabil Mar, we congratulate Marie Sharp and all of her hardworking employees for their success in becoming one of Belize’s most popular and prosperous companies.
In honor of their service and patriotic duty, Chabil Mar resort in Placencia is offering a 15% price reduction on lodgings for active-duty or retired military personnel and their families from the United States, Canada and Belize.
In the past year, Belize has strengthened its relationship with the United States and Canada as part of the “Southern Partnership” and “New Horizons” programs. American and Canadian military personnel are now graciously providing medical and dental care in a number of villages and health clinics throughout Belize. In honor of their service and in recognition that they have only a limited amount of free time to relax in Belize, Chabil Mar now offers these military personnel and their families 15% off all accommodations at the resort.
Chabil Mar, a tropical Belize Caribbean-front resort is located on a private stretch of the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize. Located just a five-minute walk from Placencia Village, the Belizean-style resort has 19 luxuriously appointed villas and 1 honeymoon suite with an oceanfront view, an onsite restaurant and bar, powerful multi-zone air conditioning and a full range of complimentary services including high-speed wireless internet and bicycle, paddle board and sea kayak rentals.
With the summer season about to begin, now is the time to make your reservation. To obtain the military discount, please contact the resort’s reservations manager. For early reservations, a special offer of one free night is available when you book four nights.
Chabil Mar also offers a number of Belize vacation packages to enjoy the best mainland and offshore adventures that Belize has to offer. Whether you’re interested in visiting mysterious Maya ruins, exploring the rainforest, bird watching or enjoying a leisurely inner tube ride through a series of caves, there’s plenty to do nearby on the mainland. And just a few miles offshore from Placencia is the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO protected site renowned for its rich abundance of colorful marine flora and fauna, the perfect place to dive, snorkel, fish or simply enjoy a spectacular sunset. The staff of Chabil Mar can arrange for a customized tour of land and/or sea sites, including equipment.
To take advantage of these amazing vacation packages and enjoy the 15% military discount, make your reservation today.
It’s understandable that a country as small as Belize (about the same size as Massachusetts) and as young (it only became fully independent in 1981) is not especially well-known outside of Central America. Recently, when the American television program Criminal Minds Beyond Borders decided to base an entire episode (“Love Interrupted”) in the country, locals and resident expats were thrilled to see international attention given to Belize.
Unfortunately, it became evident that the writers of Criminal Minds Beyond Borders had little real knowledge of the people, customs and geography of Belize. As such, we warmly welcome the cast and crew of this prominent American television show to come and see the “real” Belize.
Located between Mexico and Guatemala, the tropical country of Belize is widely known as one of the friendliest, most welcoming places on Earth. A melting pot nation harmoniously blending indigenous peoples like the Maya, Creoles, Mestizos, Garifuna, Lebanese, Mennonites, Chinese, and North American expats, Belize is a mostly rural, friendly country where sipping on beachfront pina coladas and barefoot dining on fresh-caught lobster describe an ideal day on the mainland.
Offshore, divers and snorkelers from around the world enjoy some of the most vibrant, diverse marine ecosystems in the world. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to thousands of colorful tropical species, including anemones, sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, snapper, dolphins and the largest fish species in the ocean, the whale shark. The largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere, the Belize Barrier Reef is home to half a dozen of coral species, tiny creatures whose calcium excretions form the backbone of this unique biosphere.
Placencia
Should the cast and crew of Criminal Minds Beyond Borders take us up on our invitation to come see and explore Belize, we highly recommend a trip to the beautiful Placencia Peninsula in the southeast of the country. With 16 miles of gorgeous coastline along the Caribbean and miles of lush mangrove lagoons, there’s plenty to see and enjoy. We also recommend a trip to Placencia Village at the southern tip of the peninsula, home to some of the most friendly people in the country.
For the ultimate experience in Belizean hospitality and luxury, a stay at Chabil Mar is highly recommended. With its own stretch of private beach, the guests in the 19 well-appointed villas can enjoy a full range of modern amenities as well as fine dining at the on-site beach front restaurant.
Long known by residents and visitors as one of the most spectacularly beautiful ecosystems in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef was recently seen from a brand new angle when NASA astronaut Jeff Williams, currently on assignment aboard the International Space Station, posted high-resolution photographs of the reef on his Twitter feed.
It’s understandable that a country as small as 
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